Ruperto Carola Lecture Series - Henry Keazor: Nicolas Poussin’s “Four Seasons” and Their Modern Interpretations
External Event Organized by an Academy Member The current Ruperto Carola lecture series stems from the “Academy for Future” climate crisis working group at the HAdW the “Worldmaking Kolleg” (CREATIO Workshop) and is organized by Academy Member Barbara Mittler.
Lecture as part of the Ruperto Carola Lecture Series by Academy Member Prof. Dr. Henry Keazor (Institute for European Art History, University of Heidelberg)
Against the backdrop of the climate crisis, war, the pandemic, and a radically changing world order, the question of the tension between end and beginning seems highly relevant. To what extent do catastrophes and crises not only pose a potential threat, but can also mark the beginning of radical transformations and new models of the world? How can we understand catastrophe as an opportunity, as a chance for a new beginning, for the reemergence of a different creation story? The questions posed by the Ruperto Carola lecture series touch upon our lived experiences across generations and cultures and serve as a starting point for bringing together scholars, public figures, and artists in dialogue with one another and with a broad audience through various event formats (lectures, panel discussions, concerts, readings, and film screenings).
About the Lecture: From End to Beginning? Nicolas Poussin’s “Four Seasons” and Their Modern Interpretations
Contrary to what the title commonly used today for these four paintings might suggest, Nicolas Poussin’s “Four Seasons,” painted between 1660 and 1664, are by no means simple depictions of a natural cycle. Rather, the artist combines various cycles—such as the hours of the day and the seasons, but also historical eras—and illustrates them through episodes from the Old Testament. Since these episodes were not selected according to the narrative chronology of the Bible, the cyclical elements of temporal progression overlap with the jumps and breaks dictated by the biblical stories. The result is a highly complex temporal structure in which beginning and end repeat themselves in a linear progression of human history. This article traces this structure, suggests possible interpretations, and then discusses selected modern interpretations of Poussin’s “Seasons” in art and music.
For more information and the program: www.uni-heidelberg.de/de/transfer/kommunikation/ruperto-carola-ringvorlesung
PLEASE NOTE: THE TIMES IN THE iCAL DOWNLOAD ARE CURRENTLY INCORRECT. PLEASE CHECK THE RESPECTIVE EVENT PAGES FOR THE CORRECT TIMES.
Date: January 30 , 2023
Location:Auditorium of the New University, Universitätsplatz 1, 69117 Heidelberg
Start: 7 :30 p.m.
